Cave Church in Garbage City and Coptic Cairo.

• Itinerary Day 1: Cave Church & Coptic Cairo Stop At: Cave Church, Mokattam, Cairo 11511 Egypt The Monastery of Saint Simon, also known as the Cave Church, is located in the Mokattam mountain in southeastern Cairo, Egypt, in an area that is known as ‘garbage city’ because of the large population of garbage collectors or Zabbaleen that live there. The Zabbaleen are descendants of farmers who started migrating from Upper Egypt to Cairo in the 1940s. Fleeing poor harvests and poverty they came to the city looking for work and set-up makeshift settlements around the city. Initially, they stuck to their tradition of raising pigs, goats, chickens and other animals Duration: 1 hour Stop At: Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary), Shar'a Mari Girgis Street, Cairo 11511 Egypt The Hanging Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress, the Roman fortress in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo) its nave is suspended over a passage. The church is approached by twenty-nine steps; early travelers to Cairo dubbed it "the Staircase Church". The land surface has risen by some six metres since the Roman period, so the Roman tower is mostly buried below ground, reducing the visual impact of the church's elevated position.[citation needed] The entrance from the street is through iron gates under a pointed stone arch. The nineteenth-century facade with twin bell towers is then seen beyond a narrow courtyard decorated with modern art biblical designs. Up the steps and through the entrance is a further small courtyard leading to the eleventh-century outer porch Duration: 1 hour Stop At: Church of St Sergius and Bacchus, Old Cairo, Cairo 11511 Egypt Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church is traditionally believed to have been built on the spot where the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus Christ, rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. They may have lived here while Joseph worked at the fortress. The church is of significant historical importance, and in fact, it is where many patriarchs of the Coptic Church were elected. The first to be elected here was Patriarch Isaac (681-692) It is the episcopal church of Cairo, and it was the episcopal See of Masr (the district of Old Cairo) that replaced the former See of Babylon. Many bishops of the See were consecrated in the Church until the reign of Patriarch Christodulus Duration: 30 minutes No meals included on this day. Accommodation included: Not Inclouded Day 2: . Pass By: Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary), Shar'a Mari Girgis Street, Cairo 11511 Egypt hanging church No meals included on this day. Accommodation included: Not Inclouded

Itinerary Day 1: Cave Church & Coptic Cairo Stop At: Cave Church, Mokattam, Cairo 11511 Egypt The Monastery of Saint Simon, also known as the Cave Church, is located in the Mokattam mountain in southeastern Cairo, Egypt, in an area that is known as ‘garbage city’ because of the large population of garbage collectors or Zabbaleen that live there. The Zabbaleen are descendants of farmers who started migrating from Upper Egypt to Cairo in the 1940s. Fleeing poor harvests and poverty they came to the city looking for work and set-up makeshift settlements around the city. Initially, they stuck to their tradition of raising pigs, goats, chickens and other animals Duration: 1 hour Stop At: Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary), Shar'a Mari Girgis Street, Cairo 11511 Egypt The Hanging Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress, the Roman fortress in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo) its nave is suspended over a passage. The church is approached by twenty-nine steps; early travelers to Cairo dubbed it "the Staircase Church". The land surface has risen by some six metres since the Roman period, so the Roman tower is mostly buried below ground, reducing the visual impact of the church's elevated position.[citation needed] The entrance from the street is through iron gates under a pointed stone arch. The nineteenth-century facade with twin bell towers is then seen beyond a narrow courtyard decorated with modern art biblical designs. Up the steps and through the entrance is a further small courtyard leading to the eleventh-century outer porch Duration: 1 hour Stop At: Church of St Sergius and Bacchus, Old Cairo, Cairo 11511 Egypt Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church is traditionally believed to have been built on the spot where the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus Christ, rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. They may have lived here while Joseph worked at the fortress. The church is of significant historical importance, and in fact, it is where many patriarchs of the Coptic Church were elected. The first to be elected here was Patriarch Isaac (681-692) It is the episcopal church of Cairo, and it was the episcopal See of Masr (the district of Old Cairo) that replaced the former See of Babylon. Many bishops of the See were consecrated in the Church until the reign of Patriarch Christodulus Duration: 30 minutes No meals included on this day. Accommodation included: Not Inclouded Day 2: . Pass By: Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary), Shar'a Mari Girgis Street, Cairo 11511 Egypt hanging church No meals included on this day. Accommodation included: Not Inclouded

• Hotel pickup and drop-off

• Qualified Egyptologist guide

• Air-conditioned vehicle

• Private transportation

• Gratuities

• Entrance fees

• Lunch